HC Deb 27 March 2003 vol 402 cc389-91W
Mr. Keetch

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria and methods of assessment are in place to evaluate the efficacy of the major incident plans put in place by individual primary care trusts; and if he will make a statement. [103433]

Mr. Hutton

Primary care trusts (PCTs), in common with all national health service organisations, are required to demonstrate their "preparedness" for major incidents. PCTs, together with partner organisations, need to be able to draw upon well-defined, effective procedures and processes.

All PCTs must have in place a major incident plan that is backed up by practical arrangements and processes including evidence of staff briefings, exercises and appropriate training.

The criteria used to determine whether or not a PCT is "prepared" are largely those set out in the recent National Audit Office report, Facing the Challenge: NHS Emergency Planning in England.

PCTs, as well as other NHS organisations, have been supported by health emergency planning advisers ('HEPAs'). HEPAs have particular expertise in emergency planning and, together with Regional Directors of Public Health, have been advising PCTs on the adequacy of their major incident plans.

Once complete, each PCT's plan will reviewed and assessed by the appropriate strategic health authority and this will have been done by the end of this month.

Dr. Tonge

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) paramedics and (b) ambulance drivers have received training to deal with the aftermath of a (i) nuclear, (ii) chemical, (iii) biological and (iv) conventional terrorist attack in the last 12 months, broken down by primary care trust. [105097]

Mr. Lammy

In the light of the current threat, preparations have been stepped up to ensure that all National Health Service organisations are as prepared as they can be for responding to a range of possible threats, including the deliberate release of chemical or biological agents or incidents associated with radiological or nuclear hazards.

Comprehensive reviews have been undertaken by NHS organisations of their preparedness that will be completed by the end of March. Responsibility for staff training and testing local plans rests with each NHS organisation and training support material, developed as part of the national programme, has been made available to each ambulance service.

Information on numbers trained is not held centrally.

Dr. Tonge

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial resources his Department has allocated to training(a) ambulance drivers and (b) paramedics to deal with the aftermath of a terrorist attack, broken down by primary care trust. [105098]

Mr. Lammy

As part of a £5 million national programme, protective suits and decontamination units are being made available to all hospitals with accident and emergency departments and ambulance services in England to enable them to respond to chemical, biological or radiological incidents. Training material and support were also made available as part of that programme.

Every national health service organisation has a basic responsibility to maintain and improve its preparedness to respond to major incidents of all kinds and funding is included in general allocations.

Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps he has taken to upgrade his Department's plans in the event of deliberate release of biological weapons; and if he will make a statement. [103866]

Mr. Hutton

The Department has contingency plans for the deliberate release of biological weapons. These are kept under careful and continuous review. Recent developments includeIn December, the Department published 'Interim Guidelines for Smallpox Response and Management'. These will be revised in the light of comments received. The Department has also contributed to the Home Office's 'Strategic National Guidance on the Decontamination of People Exposed to CBRN Substances Or Material'£February 2003.

The Department has made available through the emergency planning section of its website www.doh.gov.uk/epcu a comprehensive package of guidance for clinicians on dealing with the consequences of deliberate release. This information is regularly updated. The Public Health Laboratory Service website www.phls.org.uk provides addition al clinical and other information, which is updated regularly.

In addition, the Department has taken action to substantially increase the stocks of smallpox vaccine. A core group of national health service staff is in the process of being vaccinated against smallpox as part of the smallpox emergency plans. The Department has also stockpiled antibiotics to treat anthrax, plague and tularaemia—a proportion of these are held in "pods" at strategic locations across the United Kingdom, to allow rapid distribution in an emergency.

Within the NHS, plans for deliberate release are being continually updated. All primary care trusts and NHS trusts are reviewing their level of preparedness. Regional directors of public health are co-ordinating the responses in their regions.

The Health Protection Agency will be taking forward chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear training and building on that already undertaken.